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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The St. Simons Island Light
is a lighthouse on the southern tip of St. Simons Island, Georgia.

It guides ships into St.
Simons Sound and warns them of the many sandbars in the area. This lighthouse
is still used today.

The original lighthouse was
built in 1810 and was 75 feet tall. It was octagonal in shape and was topped off
by a 10-foot oil-burning lamp.

During the American Civil War
this lighthouse was destroyed. During a battle Union troops drove back the Confederates.
The confederates then destroyed this lighthouse so the Union troops that took
over the area could not use it to guide their warships.

In 1872, the U.S. government
constructed a new lighthouse just west of the original location. This new
lighthouse is 104 feet tall, made of brick and has a 3rd order
biconvex lens. This lens is one of 70 that are still in use today in the U.S.

The Duel

The St. Simons Island Light
is haunted by a light-keeper. One of its keepers Frederick Osborne is
believed to be this ghost.

In March of 1880 Osborne was
killed in a duel.

The reason for this duel is
uncertain. One version states that Osborne made an inappropriate comment to his
assistant light-keepers wife. This man, John Stephens then challenged him to a
duel.

In another version it is
stated that it was Stephens who made unwanted advances to Osborne’s wife.

Regardless, the two men stood
98 feet apart--Osborne held a pistol and Stephens held a shotgun loaded with
buckshot. Stephen hit his mark. Osborne was fatally wounded.

Stephen was later acquitted
of any charges but this did not end it for him.

Osborne’s Ghost

Stephens took over as
light-keeper and he often reported hearing the sounds of footsteps ascending
and descending the steps that lead to the top of the lighthouse.

Till his death he firmly
believed this was Osborne’s ghost.

In later years another
lighthouse keeper by the name of Svendsen claimed that Osborne’s ghost
constantly harassed his dog, Jinx.

Multi-witnesses have claimed
to hear footsteps on the tower’s staircase.

The U.S. Coast Guard took
over the running of the lighthouse in 1939. Guardsmen at this time reported
hearing the sound of footsteps while they did routine maintenance on the light.

Many believe Osborne still
lingers because he wants to make sure the light is properly cared for.

In the early 1970s the
Coastal Georgia Historical Society spent three years restoring the 2-story
Victorian light-keepers cottage--in 1984 this building became a museum. Tourists for a small fee can now climb the 129 steps to the top of the
lighthouse.

Lighthouse today.

The view of St. Simons Sound
and the surrounding area is spectacular.

In 2010, the lighthouse tower
was fully restored--great pains where taken to protect the rare biconvex lens.

An Investigation

In 2013, a paranormal group
called LDL captured an interesting video of the lighthouse. They use a P- SB7
Spirit Box to communicate with the ghosts. Information about this box is in another post here.

Photograph by
Lawrence G. Miller

On this box they captured what
they feel is Frederick Osborne’s voice. They also captured evidence of another
ghost that haunts the lighthouse.

This ghost is Lisa
Register. She is believed to have committed suicide by jumping off the top of the lighthouse in 1999.

This sad, touching ghost tale has been told for many years on St. Simons Island the largest island
in the Golden Isles. St. Simons lies
across from the “Marshes of Glynn” made famous by the poem written by Sidney
Lanier above.

Most believe this is a true
story.

Long ago there was a couple that
lived on St. Simons Island just off the Georgia coast. They were
totally devoted to each other.

The wife was terrified of the
dark, so her husband every night at bedtime would bring a candle into their
bedroom.

The years passed and the wife
became ill. Knowing she was about to die she told her husband that she was afraid
of being placed in a dark grave. Her husband eased her fears by promising to
bring a lit candle to her resting place every night.

After she died her husband
kept his promise. For as long as he lived he would visit the cemetery where his wife was buried at night
and leave a burning candle on her grave.

After he died the residents
of the Island were shocked when this nightly light continued to be seen in the
cemetery.

Christ Church early 20th century.

Most came to believe that
this devoted husband’s spirit was continuing his labor of love. This light is
seen in Christ Churches’ cemetery even today.

A flickering flame is seen
passing through this cemetery and then it stops at the wife’s grave--where it
remains until sunrise.

Read about the St. Simon’s
lighthouse another place that is haunted on this Island in Part ll--St. Simons Island Light.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Thelma Todd was a huge star
in 1930s Hollywood. She was the “ice-cream blonde” with a talent for comedy.

Tragically, Todd who had
earned the nickname “Hot Toddy” in Hollywood was found dead in her car on the
morning of December 16, 1935. She was 30 years old.

Todd at the time of her death
had starred in 40 films most of them comedies. She worked with all the great
comedians of the time --the Marx brothers in--Horse Feathers and Monkey
Business, Laurel and Hardy--The
Devil’s Brother, Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante in Speak Easily to name just a few. She starred in the 1932 film Gary
Grant made his debut in --This is the
Night.

Todd’s death set off a media
frenzy that would easily rival the O.J. Simpson case sixty years later. The
main reason for this is because the cause of her death, despite the official
report, remains a mystery.

Climb to Success

Todd was a happy grade school
teacher in Massachusetts. To make extra money she worked as a fashion model on
the side. This led to her entering several beauty contests.

She won the title of Miss
Massachusetts in 1925. During her reign she was spotted by a Hollywood talent
scout and began attending Paramount Picture’s acting school in New York City.

She came to Hollywood just as
the industry was transitioning from silent films to talkies. She eventually
landed at Hal Roach studios where she worked up until her death.

Todd had a successful career
but her personal life unfortunately did not follow the same path.

Bad Boys

Todd was attracted to
exciting but dangerous men. She married a man by the name of Pat DiCicco who
worked in Hollywood under the guise of being an “agent.” DiCicco abused Todd
and she divorced him.

Todd with husband Pat DiCicco

In 1931, Todd starred under
the name “Alison Lloyd” in a crime thriller entitled, Corsair directed by Roland West. Todd was branching out from the
typical comedies she starred in.

Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe
in Pacific Palisades

West became Todd’s occasional
lover. The two opened a successful restaurant--using Todd’s fame-- off the
Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Malibu called Thelma Todd’s Sidewalk Café.

This café was located on the
ground floor of a large 3-story 15,000 square foot building. West and Todd also
ran a private nightclub on the second floor called Joya’s--this establishment quickly became the playground for
Hollywood’s rich and famous.

The two frequently fought
because Todd didn’t like being tied to this nightclub and Café--she liked to go
out. But West insisted she was his “magnet.”

“You’re my money maker, and if you are not here, I’m
not making money.”

Roland West, his ex-wife and
Todd lived in ritzy ocean-view apartments on this building’s upper floor. There
were sliding doors between West and Todd’s apartments so they could carry on a
discrete affair.

During this time the gangland
boss Charles “Lucky” Luciano approached Todd. He knew Todd through her
connection with DiCicco. He wanted to place a gambling casino above the Café.
Todd refused his request.

Lucky Luciano

Her Death

On the night of her death
Todd had attended a party given in her honor by Ida Lupino’s father Stanley at
the famous Sunset Strip Trocadero nightclub.

Her ex-husband DiCicco was at
the party and the two became entangled in a bitter fight. After this, Todd
spent the rest of the evening drinking heavily.

Thelma Todd's body

She was taken home in a
chauffer driven car and arrived at the Cafe at 3:35 a.m. Her maid later found her dead in the Café’s two-car garage. She was slumped over on the passenger
side of her brown 1934 Lincoln Phaeton convertible. The car was still running
and the garage doors were closed.

It was determined that Thelma
Todd died of monoxide poisoning and her death was officially ruled a suicide.

This might have been the end
of it but the condition of Todd’s body when discovered has kept this elusive
mystery in the forefront for 80 years.

When Todd’s body was
discovered she had bruises on her lower lip and according to exaggerated news
reports of the time she had a broken nose and ribs. Blood was also found on her
face and in the car.

Possible Suspects

Several theories have been
suggested as the real cause of Todd’s death. Here are just two.

One states that Todd’s
ex-husband Pat DiCicco followed her home after their argument at the party. DiCicco
was not a Hollywood agent but instead he was one of Lucky Luciano’s right
hand-men.

Some theories speculate it
was personal for DiCicco--it was widely known he was bitter about the fact Todd
divorced him.

Others speculate that he might
have been acting on Luciano’s behalf because Todd had rejected his request to
use her establishment for a gambling casino. Todd had gone to the DA when
Luciano became persistent.

Roland West

A second theory involves
Roland West. He was obsessed with the success of the two businesses he and Todd
started together. He also was often angry when he couldn’t control Todd.

Witnesses reported hearing
Todd and West having a loud argument in the wee hours of the morning she was
found dead. One account states West was angry Todd have returned so late from
her party.

Some feel that he killed Todd
in a moment of rage and then placed Todd’s body in the convertible with the
engine running to make it look like an accident.

Todd’s Ghost

Regardless of whether it was
a suicide or a murder Thelma Todd’s spirit appears not to rest easy.

Friday, July 25, 2014

This pub first opened its
doors in the 18th century. It is located in Spitalfield in the East End
of London.

The Ten Bells is at the upper
top right of this 1905 photo.

Ten Bells is named after the
10 bells that peal out in Christ Churches’ belfry next door. At one time the
pub was called Eight Bells but when the church upgraded to 10 chimes the pub’s
name was upgraded as well.

This pub became renowned
because of its connection to the Jack the Ripper crimes in the late 1800s. All
the murdered prostitutes at one time or another had patronized this public house.

Mary Kelly, the Rippers last victim often stood in front of Ten Bells to solicit customers. Her body was found across the road from the pub.

Because of this the pub was
renamed Jack the Ripper in 1979. By
1988 it was pointed out that this murderer shouldn’t be commemorated in this
way so it was again named The Ten
Bells.

Rumors about the Ten Bells
being haunted have circulated for years.

Annie Chapman

One claim is that the pub has
an active poltergeist. It is believed this ghost is Annie Chapman who was one
of the Ripper’s victims.

Annie Chapman

It is stated that after Annie
spent one night drinking at the pub the Ripper lured her away. Her body was
found later mutilated nearby on Hanbury Street.

Annie is believed to be the
ghost that makes objects move mysteriously in the pub. She is particularly fond
of moving pints of beer.

Despite the fact she was
murdered brutally her ghost is not considered malicious in nature.

Annie has never been seen
just felt.

But there is a ghost at
Ten Bells that does appear on a regular basis.

The Old Man

The Ten Bells 2012

In the 1990s several staff
members who worked at this pub lived upstairs. These employees regularly
reported seeing a ghostly old man wearing Victorian clothing.

Several reported waking in
the middle of the night feeling uneasy. When they turned over they saw a male
phantom form lying beside them in their beds.

As they cried out in shock or
moved to leave their beds this figure then disappeared.

The descriptions given of
this ghost always closely matched. No one had any idea who this man was. The
staff that opted to stay learned to live with this activity.

In 2000, the new landlord was
cleaning out the building’s cellar when he found an old metal box hidden in a
corner.

It contained items that
belonged to a man named George Roberts. A wallet that was found contained a
clipping that mentioned Roberts was murdered with an axe while at the Swansea
Cinema.

It was later discovered
Roberts had been the landlord of the Ten Bells when the Ripper was active in
the late 1800s.

People today state the old
man that is seen is George Roberts.

One tenant in the building in
2001 stated that he often heard Robert’s footsteps and his laughter when he was
the only one in the building.

Modern day interior.

He would always investigate
but he never discovered anything.

One evening as he headed down
the stairs to investigate the bar area he felt firm invisible hands shove him. This
happened to him more than once--each time he ended up falling down the stairs.